Stock-car



(No Model.) 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 B. C. HICKS.

STOGK GAR.

No. 495,686. Patented Apr. 18, 1893.

: NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOHN C. HICKS, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HICKS STOCK CAR COMPANY, OF l/VEST VIRGINIA.

STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,586, dated April 18, 1893. Application filed September 22, 1892. Serial No. 446,546- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BOHN C. HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Stock cars of various constructions are largely and extensively used throughout the country. Competition between the various lines of stock cars is brisk and eager, and there is accordingly a constant endeavor to improve upon the construction of these cars in every possible manner, the aim being to produce a car which,with a minimum expense and labor in construction shall present a maximum of advantages, tending to insure the easy and free transportation of the live stock.

The lines of improvement followed relate to the general construction of the car, aiming to, secure lightness and ch'eapness, together with strength, durability and adaptability for the purposes of business, and to what may be called the internal arrangements of the car. Among these internal arrangements may be classed means for separating the stock, by providing the car with two decks or floors, and by separating the animals on the floor or floors; and means for providing the animals with food and Water. It is to the last class, viz., that relating to the proper feeding of the animals, that my present invention more particularly relates.

In watering the stock, the common practice is to make use of the trough or troughs supported in suitable positions along the sides or ends of the car and upon the interior thereof. These troughs are so arranged in many cases as to be capable of assuming two positions, viz., a position of use, and a position of non-use, being moved from one position to the other in a variety of ways and by a variety of means.

Speaking generally in regard to my invention, and without intending to limit the claims hereinafter to be made therefor, I may say that such invention consists in arranging and combining a trough or troughs, suitably positioned and supported, with a movable part or section of the side wall of the car, in such manner that this section of the side wall shall operate simultaneously with the trough or troughs, and further, that such side wall shall act as a guard for the trough to protect it from injury; and my invention consists in the features, combinations and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevatibn of the interior of a car provided with myimprovements; Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view of one side thereof on line 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, said improvements being in the position of nonuse; and Fig. 3 a similar section with the parts in a position for use. I

The side posts A, roof B, floor C, and other parts of the car not hereinafter more particularly described may be made in any desired manner, which, being well known and forming no part of my invention, require and will receive no further description.

Troughs D, made of any suitable dimensions and material, and preferably semi-circular in cross section are provided, and are supported by means of trunnions cl, working in arms 01, or in any other manner which will permit them so to operate as to accomplish the objects of my invention. That portion of the slde wall beneath this trough, lettered E in the drawings, is pivoted at points preferably a short distance above the floor of the car, as at e, in such manner as to be capable of rocking either into a vertical or into an angular position, as shown respectively in Figs. 2 and 3. This rocking side wall may be operated directly by hand if desired, but I prefer to provide means for simultaneously operating all of the sections into which this side wall is preferably divided, such means consisting of the following devices. Supported in suitable journals attached to the sides of the car, are shafts F, there being preferably one of these shafts at each side of the car, extending from the doorways to the ends of the car, and which maybe, if desired, so connected by sprocket wheels and chains or otherwise as to be simultaneously rotated by a suitable crank, though the method of rotating these shafts is not an essential feature of my invention. To these shafts I fix cranks F and G. The cranks F are connected by means of suitable links H with the rocking side walls; these links being preferably shaped as shown in the drawings, whereby in either position of the side walls, the shaft, the pivotal connection between the crank and link and between the link and side wall shall always be substantially in line. By this construction, as will be evident, the side wall may be moved in and out by means of positive force, and will be locked in either position by means of the peculiar formation of the links. To each of the crank arms G is attached one end of a chain I, which chain passes over a suitable roller, pulley or drum I, and is connected at its other end to a pin 1 secured to the trough. There may be one or more of these chains to each trough, as desired. I also prefer to connect the trough to the rocking side wall by means of a chain J,attached at one end to the side wall, and at the other end to the trough. It should be understood that I prefer to have the side wall and the trough so located and arranged relatively to each other that when the parts are in a position for use, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper ends of the side wall will rest against the side of the trough at a point somewhat below the upper edge of such trough, part of the side wall being preferably curved, as shown at E, to fit the curvature of the trough. Also the side wall and trough are preferably in continual contact.

The parts having. been constructed and put together in the manner above described, are operated as follows, sup-posing them to be in a position for use, as shown in Fig. 3. If, now, the shaft F be revolved toward the left, it will carry the crank arms F and G in the same direction. The latter crank arm will act, through its connection to the trough, to rock the same upon its trunnions or supports, and raise it into the position indicated in Fig. 2. At the same time the crank arm F will act through its connections to rock the side Wall toward the left, raising itinto a substantially vertical position, following after the trough, and bringing all of the parts into the position indicated in Fig. 2. vVith the parts in this, the position of non-use, if it be desired to bring them into aposition for use, the shaft F may be revolved toward the right, when the crank F operates to throw or move the rocking side wall toward the right. As this wall moves toward the right, the trough will move down into the position shown in Fig. 3. This motion of the trough maybe accomplished in either of two ways: (1) By so pivoting it that its center of gravity will be on the side of the pivot calculated to cause the trough to fall through its own weight, when the side wall which supports it in a raised position is withdrawn; or (2) the trough may be connected to the side wall by any suitable means, as the chain J already described, whereby as the side wall is moved inward, the trough will be drawn to its raised position by the action of positive force, either of these methods being within my invention.

' is impossible for the stock to get at the trough in such a way as to injure it, since when the trough is down the side wall is firmly locked in a position where it practically surrounds the trough or incloses it at the point where it is most liable to be injured.

Another advantage incident to this construction is that while affording plenty of space for proper watering of the stock when the parts are in position for use, when notin use they are adapted to be stowed away compactly and securely in a minimum space.

While I have described more or less precise forms, it is not my intention to unduly limit myself thereto, but I contemplate all proper changes in form, proportion, and the substitution of equivalent members, as may. be desirable or necessary.

I claim- 1. In a stock car, the combination of a trough pivotally supported within such car, an inwardly rocking side wall pivotallysupported inside of and below such trough, and

in one direction and by gravity in the other,

substantially as described.

3. In a stock car, the combination of a trough pivotally supported within the car, a side wall pivoted beneath the trough, and means whereby the side wall and trough are rocked into a position for use or a position for non-use, the trough being in continual contact with the sidewall and supported and protected thereby, substantially as described.

4. In a stock car, the combination of a trough pivotally supported within the car, a rocking side wall pi votally supported beneath such trough, a shaft mounted in suitable journals in the car and provided with crank arms connected respectively with the sidewall and trough, whereby when the shaft is rotated in one direction the wall will be positively rocked out and the trough positively raised, and when the shaft is rotated in the other direction the side wall will be positively rocked in and the trough allowed to fall, substantially as described.

5. In a stock car, the combination of a piv- 495,586 r i e oted trough, an inwardly rocking side wall erated to bring them into a position for use pivotally supported inside of and below such or a position of non-use, Substantially as deto trough, an operating shaft suitably journaled scribed. within the car and carrying two cranks, one

of such cranks being connected to the trough and the other to the side Wall, whereby as the Witnesses: shaft is revolved in one direction or the other, GEORGE S. PAYSON, the side wall and trough will be positively op- SAMUEL E. HIBBEN.

BOHN O. HICKS. 

